Japanese Traditional Songs – いぬのおまわりさん The Dog is a Policeman

Learn the popular Japanese children's song "いぬのおまわりさん" (The Dog Policeman), a heartwarming story about a dog policeman helping a lost kitten. This lesson includes lyrics, vocabulary breakdowns, and engaging activities to enhance your Japanese learning experience.

First, if you aren't familiar with the song, please listen to this:)

LYRICS & VOCABULARY

Now, let's go through the lyrics for the first verse:

Match the Meaning

Flip two cards to match the Japanese with the English.

Grammar Talk

Now, let's go through a few grammatical patterns found in the song.

■ まいごの　こねこちゃん - using の to connect and limits associated nouns

In the phrase "まいごのこねこちゃん", the particle の is used to connect two nouns, indicating possession or association. Here, "まいご" means "lost child" and "こねこちゃん" means "kitten" with the affectionate suffix ちゃん. The particle の links these nouns to form "まいごのこねこちゃん," which translates to "the lost kitten." This usage shows that the kitten is the one who is lost.

One way to think of this is の limits the kitten to that of a lost kitten. It isn't just any kitten but a kitten who is lost.

■ おうち - Using the polite prefix お

The polite prefix お is used in Japanese to show respect, politeness, or affection. It is often added to nouns, especially those referring to someone else's belongings, family members, or when addressing someone politely. In the phrases "おうち" and "おまわりさん", お adds a level of politeness.

• おうち: This means "house" or "home." The prefix お makes it more polite, often used when referring to someone else's home.
• おまわりさん: This is a polite way to refer to a police officer, with お adding respect.

Other examples include:

• お名前(なまえ): Name (used politely)
• お手紙(てがみ): Letter (used politely)
• お水(みず): Water (used politely)
• お金(かね): Money (used politely)

In each case, the prefix お adds a sense of respect or politeness, making the speech more formal or courteous.

■ おまわりさん - The Neighborhood Policeman

おまわりさん is a commonly used term in Japanese that refers to a police officer, especially in a friendly or familiar context. Although it includes the polite prefix お and the honorific さん, it is considered a word in itself.

• お: This prefix adds politeness and is often used to show respect or affection.
• まわり: from まわる (to go around—something a policeman does)
• さん: An honorific suffix that shows respect, similar to "Mr." or "Ms."

Despite these elements, おまわりさん is used as a single term to refer to a police officer, often when speaking to or about them in a friendly or respectful manner. A おまわりさん protects the safety of the community, enforces traffic regulations, and helps people (and kittens) in need.

■ わんわん and にゃんにゃん - Dog and Cat Sounds

わんわん (or just a single わん) is the sound dogs make kind of like "bark" or "woof" in English. にゃんにゃん is the cat's meow.

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